Choosing a course platform as a yoga teacher isn't the same as choosing one for a business coach or a software instructor. You have specific needs: video-heavy content, live session integration, the ability to share audio-only practice tracks, and a clean learning experience that doesn't distract from the practice itself.
The best platform for your yoga course depends on what you're building. For structured courses with live sessions, Ruzuku offers the best balance of simplicity, live Zoom integration, and zero transaction fees. For yoga-specific features (class scheduling, on-demand libraries), Marvelous (formerly Namastream) and OfferingTree are worth considering. Teachable and Thinkific are powerful general-purpose options but require more setup.
What Yoga Teachers Need from a Platform
Before comparing specific platforms, here's what matters most for yoga courses:
- Video hosting and delivery: Your content is primarily video. The platform needs to handle large files, stream smoothly, and organize multiple video segments per module.
- Live session integration: Zoom or similar for live practice sessions, alignment feedback, and community calls. Ideally scheduled directly within the course.
- Sequential content delivery: Students should progress through your course in order, not jump randomly between modules. This is how you build progressive skill development.
- Community and discussion: A space for students to share experiences, ask questions, and support each other between sessions.
- Simple student experience: Yoga students aren't looking for a complex software interface. They want to log in, see their next lesson, and start practicing.
- Multiple file types: Beyond video, you may want to share audio-only practice tracks, downloadable pose guides, printable sequence cards, and written content.
Platform Comparison
Ruzuku
Best for: Yoga teachers who want simplicity, live sessions, and zero transaction fees.
Ruzuku is designed for teaching-focused course creators — not marketers or info-product sellers. For yoga teachers, the key advantages are built-in Zoom integration (schedule live sessions directly in your course), sequential content delivery, community discussion within each step, and a clean interface that stays out of the way. Pricing starts at $99/month with zero transaction fees — you keep what you earn.
Strengths: Simplest setup of any platform on this list. Genuine human support (email a real person, not a chatbot). All features included at every tier — no upsells for basic functionality. Built by educators for educators.
Limitations: Smaller marketplace/discovery features than Teachable or Thinkific. No built-in website builder (you'll need your own landing page or use the included course sales page). Less suitable if you're primarily selling a large content library rather than structured courses.
Marvelous (formerly Namastream)
Best for: Yoga teachers who want a yoga-specific platform with class scheduling and on-demand libraries.
Marvelous (formerly Namastream) is built specifically for yoga, fitness, and wellness professionals. It includes live class scheduling, on-demand video libraries, and integrations with Zoom. If your business model is primarily live class scheduling with an on-demand library (more like a studio replacement than a structured course), Marvelous fits that model well. Plans start at $79/month.
Strengths: Purpose-built for yoga/fitness. Live class scheduling is native. Website builder included. Familiar model for yoga teachers used to studio scheduling.
Limitations: Higher starting price ($79/month). Community features are basic. Less flexibility for structured multi-week courses with progressive curriculum.
OfferingTree
Best for: Yoga teachers who want an all-in-one platform combining website, scheduling, and course hosting.
OfferingTree positions itself as the all-in-one solution for wellness professionals — website, scheduling, courses, memberships, and payments in one place. It's newer and smaller than the general-purpose platforms but designed with yoga teachers in mind.
Strengths: All-in-one solution (no need for separate website hosting). Yoga/wellness-specific features. Clean design. No transaction fees on higher tiers.
Limitations: Younger platform with fewer integrations. Community features are still developing. Less proven at scale for large course programs or YTT.
Teachable
Best for: Yoga teachers who want maximum marketing tools and don't mind a learning curve.
Teachable is one of the largest general-purpose course platforms. It offers strong marketing features (sales pages, upsells, affiliate programs, email marketing), a large marketplace for discovery, and robust video hosting. However, it's designed for all types of courses, not specifically yoga.
Strengths: Polished platform with extensive features. Strong sales and marketing tools. Large user base. Regular feature updates.
Limitations: Transaction fees on Starter tier (currently 7.5%). No built-in Zoom integration — you'll need workarounds for live sessions. More complex setup than Ruzuku or Marvelous. The platform's vibe is "sell courses" more than "teach students," which some yoga teachers find misaligned.
Thinkific
Best for: Yoga teachers who want a balance of features and customization.
Thinkific is similar to Teachable in scope — a general-purpose course platform with strong video hosting, customizable course design, and decent marketing tools. Plans start at $49/month (with a free trial to test it out).
Strengths: Good course design tools. No transaction fees on paid plans. More customization options than Ruzuku.
Limitations: Similar to Teachable — general-purpose, not yoga-specific. Live session integration requires third-party tools. Setup is more complex. Community features are add-on products (community features only available on higher tiers).
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Best For | Live Sessions | Transaction Fees | Yoga-Specific |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruzuku | Structured courses + live | Built-in Zoom | 0% | No (general, teaching-focused) |
| Marvelous | Live class scheduling | Native scheduling | Varies by tier | Yes (yoga/fitness) |
| OfferingTree | All-in-one (website + courses) | Zoom integration | 0% on higher tiers | Yes (wellness) |
| Teachable | Marketing-heavy courses | Third-party needed | 7.5% on Starter | No (general) |
| Thinkific | Customization + design tools | Third-party needed | 0% on paid plans | No (general) |
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Here's a simple decision framework:
- Building structured courses with live sessions? → Ruzuku (simplest setup, built-in Zoom, zero transaction fees)
- Replacing your studio schedule with live online classes? → Marvelous (yoga-specific scheduling)
- Need a full website + scheduling + courses in one? → OfferingTree (all-in-one for wellness)
- Want maximum marketing tools and don't mind complexity? → Teachable or Thinkific
If you're a yoga teacher building your first online course, start simple. You can always migrate to a more complex platform later — but you can't get back the months you spent learning a complicated system instead of teaching students.
Disclosure: This site is published by Ruzuku. We've tried to give an honest comparison based on real platform features and pricing. We encourage you to try the platforms yourself before deciding.
Next step: our complete course creation guide walks you through the full process, or take the platform quiz to find your best fit.